Pneumatic lifting apparatus



Dec. 16, 1969 w. K. THOMAS PNEUMATIC LIFTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 5, 1967 INVENTOR. WILL/AM KE/Wa/EV THOMAS Dec. 16, 1969 w. K. THOMAS 3,484,007

PNEUMATIC LIFTING APPARATUS Filed July 5, 196'! 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

5 WILL/AM KENNY moms 2a k w nited States Patent 3,484,007 PNEUMATIC LIFTIN G APPARATUS William Kenney Thomas, Rte. 9, Box 134, Lexington, Ky. 40505 Filed July 3, 1967, Ser. No. 651,356 Int. Cl. 1366f 9/22; B253 13/04 US. Cl. 214672 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE My invention relates to a pneumatic lifting apparatus and has for its major object a novel method of lifting sticks of green stalk tobacco and placing them on the rails in an air curing tobacco barn. Since this operation is at present chiefly done by manual labor my invention will facilitate and expedite this work.

The aforesaid pneumatic lifting apparatus in particular is a mechanical arrangement consisting of a twin multistage tubular lift connected to a system for supplying air under pressure, a supporting frame, a pyramidal tower. a sub platform with an operators chair, means for manually tilting the lift, means for manually revolving said lift about its vertical axis and pedal control for valves to admit and exhaust air to and from the tubular members of the lift.

A distinctive feature is that the lift is capable of great extension, rapid in motion either elevating or collapsing, light in weight, can be compacted so that the apparatus as a whole in which it is incorporated may be moved from place to place, simple to operate, requires a minimum of air pressure to operate and simple to construct.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a lift which may comprise a greater or lesser number of telescoped tubes to vary the overall length of its stroke.

A further distinctive feature is the manual means to tilt the distal end of the main tubes, which in turn tilts the subtubes, the elevated object as a stick of green stalk tobacco and place said stick of tobacco in the desired location on the rails in the tobacco barn.

A further distinctive feature is that the cross head at the distal end of each pair of tubes is constructed so that it tends to prevent detrimental slide sway and adds to the rigidity of lift when extended.

A further distinctive feature is the manual means to revolve the pair of main tubes about vertical axis of said rnain tubes thereby revolving the sub-tubes and also the elevated object such as a stick of green stalk tobacco which is a necessary step in guiding and placing said stick of tobacco in a desired location on the rails of the tobacco barn.

A further distinctive feature is the guiding and stroke limiting means of the lift in which there is a similarity of construction in each stage, no annular rings or wires being required, no annular recesses to be cut in tubes and no threading of the tubes.

A further distinctive feature found at the lower end of each inserted tube is a nylon cup seal with an open center. Said seal provides perfect sealing under pressure with a minimum sliding friction and when air is exhausted and there is no pressure. The slideable friction is practically Zero which permits the extended lift to collapse by gravitation in a matter of seconds.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim. In describing the invention in detail references will be made to the accompanying drawings where like character numerals denote like or corresponding parts through the several views, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a general perspective view illustrating the system;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view showing the upper portion of innermost tubes, cross head, and supporting rack;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the main tubes showing the general arrangement of parts, members and other related features;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the guiding, stroke limiting and sealing means;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view showing the general arrangement of the valves and pedal control.

It is understood that the present form of disclosure is merely for the purpose of illustration, and that there might be various modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention as herein set forth.

Referring to FIGURE 1 the numeral 3 represents the twin tubular multistage lift resting on base plate 27 wherein it is pivoted at 28. Main tubes of the lift are secured to a tubular -U-shaped member 31 by weld 32 as shown in FIGURE 3. Distal ends of the tubes are flanged outward as at 42.

The next stage is composed of a pair of tubes, the lower ends of said tubes being flanged on the inside as shown at 43, FIGURE 4, said tubes being capped by short cylinders having inside flanges as shown at 37, said short cylinder being slideable within its containing tube. Cupped nylon seals having open centers as shown at 38 are secured by screw 39 passing through 37-38 and screwing into threads in flange 43. Said tubes are then telescoped into their containing tubes as shown in FIGURE 4. The next step is to place the cross head 11 between the outside flanges 42 and 36 and secure them together by bolt 40. Said short cylinder is to have a bore wherein its containing tube is slideable therein. Said short cylinder fits snugly within its containing tube.

Since the construction shown in FIGURE 4 is similar in each stage, it will move on to the innermost tubes or last stage illustrated in FIGURE 2. The distal ends of the tubes are sealed with plugs. Crosshead 11 is bolted to flanges 42 and the rack 20 is bolted to the crosshead.

Referring to FIGURE 1 a pyramidal tower 4 is based at each corner of a rectangular frame 1. Supported by said tower is an elongated horizontal rectangular plate 5, said plate having an elongated slot 6 and said slot being wide enough to permit a tubular shaft 2 to be slideable therein. Base plate 27 is secured to underside of frame 1 by weld means. Multistage lift 3 rests on base plate 27 being pivoted at 28 as shown in FIGURE 3. Tubular shaft 2 is pivotally mounted on the base plate 27 at 14. Arm 10 is pivoted to the shaft 2 at 13. At the distal end of arm 10 is a bore 33, FIGURE 3, wherein the shaft 34 is pivotally mounted. A ball at the top of shaft 34 fits into recess 35. Recess 35 is secured to the underside of crosshead 11 midway between the main tubes. Handle 18 is pivoted to the shaft 2 at 32. Handles 17 resting on cross piece 23 of the tower are pivoted to the short cylinders 22, said short cylinders being loosely journaled on the main tubes. Upright plate 7 secured to frame 1 by weld means supports an inlet throttle valve 9 and exhaust valve 8. Flexible tubing 25 connects valve 9 to a system supplying air under pressure (not shown). Flexible tubing 15 connects valve 9 to an intake port on the U-shaped tube 31. Flexible tubing 16 connects exhaust valve 8 to an exhaust port on the tube 31. Exhaust from valve 8 is through a flexible tubing 24. Throttles on valves 8 and 9 are connected by shafts to their corresponding pedals as shown at 21. A subframe 29 supports an operators chair 30. A stick of green stalk tobaco 19 is held in a rack 20.

Operation An operator places the apparatus beneath rails where the tobacco is to be hung in the barn. A stick of tobacco is placed in rack 20. The operator seated in chair 30, with his left hand controlling lever 18, and his right hand controlling lever 17, and his feet on pedal controls is now ready to house the tobacco. By using control levers, 17 the operator lines the stick of tobacco parallel to the rails of the barn. The operator presses pedal 21 thereby actuating valve 9 to permit air under pressure from 25 to enter lift at the intake port on the tube 31 thereby elevating the stick of tobacco. When the desired height is reached, the operator shuts off air pressure and with lever 17 pulls the stick of tobacco around until said stick is crosswise of the barn rails, then by using lever 18 the operator is able to move said stick forward or backward, to the right or to the left. When the operator has maneuvered said stick in the proper place he opens exhaust valve 8 whereby the lift readily collapses.

A careful examination of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings, Will enable persons skilled in the art to obtain a clear understanding of the invention. Minor changes in shape, size and materials, and rearrangement of parts,

.4 may be resorted to in actual practice without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a platform, a tower supporting at the top thereof a horizontal rectangular plate, said plate having an elongated rectangular slot, a tubular shaft pivotally supported in a base plate on said platform and passing upwardly through and slidable within said elongated slot, a twin multistage pneumatic lift including main tubes, said lift being pivotally mounted in said base plate, a cross head connecting the distal ends of said main tubes, a recess on the underside of the cross head for a ball joint, a ball containing a stem secured Within said recess, an arm pivoted at one end to the upper end of said tubular shaft, said stem being pivoted in a bore at the opposite end of said arm, and a lever pivoted to said tubular shaft and extending to an operators position whereby an operator may tilt the lift in any direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 739,358 9/1903 Sullivan 214l6.4 2,809,758 10/1957 Hill 214-16 3,283,856 11/1966 rStewart l879 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

